Excursiones

Coconuco Thermals & Cycling

Founded
in 2009, the
Coconuco Downhill Cycling Trip is Colombia's longest running and most popular biking trip. Departing from Hostel Trail every single
day of the year with a minimum of two people. Guests are collected
from the hostel at 10am and driven to the indigenous mountain village of
Cocouco (2,650m alt.) where you can bathe in the hot thermal springs.

After a time in the springs, jump on the bikes and start the 30km
leisurely ride back to the hostel (1,700m alt). The route is mainly
downhill on a paved road with very little traffic. This trip is
designed for those with limited experience of cycling - there's no
guide and so you can take as long as you wish to ride back to Popayan.

Purace Volcano Hike

Puracé
is not a technical climb, the ascent is gradual and on rocky, scree
like terrain for the most part. The hike begins at 4,050 metres altitude
and with your local guide you’ll hike for about 2 hours to the
500m-wide crater at 4,650m.

If weather conditions are good, you’ll have great views of the
steaming crater, the central Andean range with it’s chain of volcanic
peaks and over to the coastal range of the Andes before making the
descent. At this altitude however, weather conditions are very
unpredictable and although we offer the trip all year round, you should
always be prepared for wet, cold and windy weather conditions.

The change in altitude makes this a tough hike and as everyone reacts
differently to the effects of altitude, we recommend taking your time
and keeping the guide informed about how you are feeling throughout the
hike.

Volcano Hike & Bike

After
embarking on the hike up Purace Volcano (see description above) grab a
bike at the old military base (4,050m) and ride your way back to Popayan
(1,750m). The total ride is 54km downhill of which around 16km is on
rough roads and 30km on a paved surface. A support vehicle follows
behind the last rider so you can bail out at any point.

Silvia Paramo Biking

This
stunning mountain biking trip follows a beautiful trail starting at
3,100 metres altitude in a small farming community before climbing
gently to the spectacular Paramo de las Moras at 3,400 metres.

Enjoying this special backdrop of mountain peaks and endemic
vegetation, we begin the descent through the Indigenous reserve of
Ambaló before entering the picturesque Guambia community with
traditional farm houses, vegetable gardens, trout farms and roaring
rivers. The ride is 32kms on farm roads and finishes in the village of
Silvia, famous for the vibrant Tuesday market.

The trip is of medium difficulty and should be easily achievable by
experienced riders and those in good physical condition. There is a
support vehicle and mechanic following the bikes and a local mountain
biking guide can be contracted for an extra charge if required.

Purace Biking Trip

This
mountain biking trip combines the highlights of Puracé national Park,
the Puracé indigenous reserve and the spectacular countryside
surrounding Popayan.

The bike ride begins with a 4km section through the Paramo
landscape with endemic vegetation and views onto the slopes of the
Puracé volcano and on clear days, the crater with steaming gas vents.
Arriving at the ´Piedra del Condor´ our local guide will place meat on
the rock to allow us (with a bit of luck!) to see the magnificent Andean
Condor close up. From here we begin the return journey by bike at 3,200
meters altitude, winding our way through the lowers slopes of the
volcano, the mountain villages and scenic landscape of the Southern
Colombian Andes.

The full trip by bike is 46km back to Popayan, 16km on dirt road and
the remaining 30km on paved country roads. There is a support vehicle
and mechanic following the bikes. Departs Popayan 8am, returns 3-4pm.

Silvia Market

High
up in the central Andean range, the village of Silvia comes alive on
Tuesdays when farmers from the indigenous communities throughout the
region come together to trade produce and socialize.

Made up mainly by the various Misak communities with their colourful
traditional dress, preserved native language and community traditions,
this is a great chance to visit an authentic market town, try some of
the fresh produce and soak up the atmosphere. We leave Popayan at 8am
and return around 2pm allowing plenty of time to look around the market,
the village itself and buy lunch if you like.

Fedar Coffee Experience

For
a great example of how coffee can be used for social change, Fedar is
an independent school for children with special learning needs which is
partially financed through the sale of export grade coffee.

Fedar ensures that the school has a sustainable, economic future and
can continue to offer alternative education to children and young adults
from families who otherwise may not have had the means to access
specialized education. Based on a working coffee farm, the school
welcomes visitors to see the coffee process and to share in their
learning experience.

Southern Loop

via Tierradentro and San Agustin

The
Southern loop is a great way to see the two main archeological sites in
South Colombia without the hassle of public transport on these remote
routes. Enjoy the freedom to stop on the way in Andean villages, admire
the mountainous landscape from the comfort of a modern 4x4 and
experience the adventure of getting off the beaten track and visiting
some of the most important archaeological finds of the continent. Your
experienced and knowledgeable driver will be happy to point out places
of interest as well as help with recommendations and logistics at the
destinations. The following is a typical itinerary although there is
some flexibility with departure times and as some of the roads are
unpaved and in poor condition, travel times can vary.

Day 1: Leave Popayan at 8am and travel to Tierradentro (5 hours)Day 2: Leave Tierradentro at 1pm and travel to San Agustin (6 hours)Day 3: Free day in San Agustin – no services includedDay 4: Leave San Agustin at 9am and travel to Popayan (5 hours)